What It Means To Be Human
by srobertson
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke are captured by Orochimaru and transformed. Now, with the help of their friends and a certian man with glowing eyes, Naruto and Sasuke must show the world what it truly means to be human. Demonic Naruto. Slight Crossovers
1. Alteration

Hello. Now before all you Right The Wrongs fans freak out because you think I'm giving up on the story, don't worry. I'm just takeing a break for a while. Let's just say I have one of the worlds worst cases of writer's block. Then one day I read the story Restoration of Humanity and I liked the idea so I decided to do my own take on it. This one will turn out in a way that may or may not surprise people. I'm also using this story as a chance to practice my romance skills, which need a workout. Now read it and comment or you shall feal the wrath of my evil monotone. (I have a monotone that rivals Itachi's. Fear me!)

* * *

_What is humanity? _

_What defines humanity?_

_Is it what we look like, our appearence, our lifestyle, are associations?_

_Or is it our actions that make us what we are?_

_What does it mean to be human?_

_-Me contimplating humanity while watching Deathnote _

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke float together in space, facing one another.

"Sasuke, please, don't go. We need you. I need you." Naruto whispers.

Sasuke was taken back. After all that has happened, Naruto still hasn't given up on him.

"Naruto… Why? Why do you try so hard to stop me?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke, you're like a brother to me. No matter what, I'll always be here for you." Naruto answers back.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment as they floated through the void. "How can you claim to be a brother to me, you have suffered, like me. But how much?" He asks in a whisper.

Naruto closes his eyes; a tear travels down his cheek. "Sasuke," he answered. "You were one of the first people who ever cared about me. I know how you feel. I know it better then any one, because I have suffered more than anyone."

Sasuke looks into Naruto's eyes and is assaulted by images. Images of a baby Naruto being hit by an orphanage worker who continuously screamed "Demon!" over and over. Images of a three year old Naruto, shivering in the cold of winter in the cardboard box he used as a house. Images of a six year old Naruto being chased by an angry mob on October 10th. Images of twelve year old Naruto being told by Mizuki of the demon sealed in his body, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Images of Naruto holding Sasuke's limp needle filled body, mourning the loss of his only friend. Images of Naruto being held in the air by Sasuke, who had just rammed a chidori through his chest, and feeling the rolling emotions of betrayal and sadness.

As soon as the images ended Sasuke slumped, still floating. He raised his head again, tears flowing down his face. "How, how can you go on living the way you do? How can you forgive me, much less the whole village for what they have done?" Sasuke asked, his voice filled with sadness.

"Sasuke, because of what's been done to me." Naruto answered. "Because of everything, I am the person I am today." Naruto said. He reached out and pulled Sasuke to him. Embracing him he said, "You and I are alike."

Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes again. "Please, Naruto. I must do this, I have to become strong to kill my brother."

Naruto responded by hugging him harder. "Sasuke, I don't want to lose you." He said in Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke responded by embracing him back. "Naruto, you won't. I see now. I don't need to sever ties to become stronger then my brother. I need to find a new brother."

Naruto and Sasuke both cried freely as they continued to float through the void. Slowly the void began to turn black. Before it could fade completely Sasuke told Naruto, "I won't lose to Orochimaru. Come find me sometime in the next couple of years. Then we will kill the snake freak."

"Goodbye…otouto…"

_Two and a half years later…_

"Konoha indeed. I'm through with you. Now things end." Sasuke stated as he lifted his hand to the sky. Orochimaru reached up and grabbed his hand.

"Now, now Sasuke. There is no need to use that jutsu." Orochimaru said in a placating voice.

Sasuke looked over to Orochimaru. The evil smile he flashed would have made Kyuubi stand up and applaud if the fox had been able to see it. "Orochimaru, what makes you think I'm using it on them?" Sasuke said.

Orochimaru balked and tried to flee into the ground, but Kirin would not be denied. The giant celestial beast made of lightning hit the ground. Orochimaru was incinerated. Naruto, not incapacitated as everyone thought, managed to get everyone under the wood shelter that Yamato had created using his kage bunshin. Sasuke simply used his own lightning natured chakra to channel the electricity into the ground.

Sakura screamed as the roar of the explosion blew over the shelter of wood. Then as soon at it had started, it finished. Sakura took a moment before she could open her eyes. When she did she noticed that Yamato, Sai and Naruto had done the same. Naruto had a huge grin plastered on his face.

Sasuke's voice carried over the top of the half dome they had sheltered in. "Hey, otouto, you doing O.K. in there?" Sasuke stuck his head down over the top lip of the dome. "Sorry about having to play hardball with you guys but I had to lure the snake into a false sense of security. Believe me, when you live with that asshole for a few years and see what he goes through, you'd all be on guard every wakening minute."

Sasuke then tried to jump down but fell unceremoniously to the ground. He lay there, not moving.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled as she raced foreword to the motionless Sasuke.

"Hey Sasuke, you alright?" Naruto shouted and ran to his fallen friend.

Sasuke looked at him sheepishly. "Channeling a lightning bolt," he said. "Is no laughing matter. Now help me please."

Naruto and Sakura prepared to help the Uchiha up when several branches, courtesy of Yamato, bound him to the ground.

Naruto turned around to Yamato and shouted angrily, "Captain Yamato, what's the deal?!"

"Naruto you can't trust him blindly!" Yamato shot back.

Naruto gathered air into his lungs and returned with a shout that could be heard for miles, "Of course I can, and we've had this planned for two and a half years!"

"What?!" Sakura and Yamato yelled simultaneously. Sakura turned on Naruto and attacked him, all the while screaming, "You didn't tell me! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Sasuke, who was still pinned down by the wood, spoke up, "Sorry, my fault. I kinda told him not to tell you."

Sakura's glare could have burned through steel. She cracked her knuckles and slowly advanced on Sasuke. Sasuke struggled frantically to free himself from the wood he was entrapped in.

"Otouto, help…" Sasuke gasped out as he slumped back to the ground.

Naruto jumped over Sakura and tried to cut Sasuke out of the wood that was holding him with a kunai. He might as well have tried to cut through a solid steel wall for Yamato's wood was as hard as said material.

The beating that ensued was enough to make even Sai wince.

_That evening… secluded clearing not far from Orochimaru's hideout…_

Naruto, Sasuke, Yamato, Sai and Sakura sat around the fire. Naruto and Sasuke bandaged up like mummies to deal with the horrific injuries that Sakura had inflicted on them.

"Hell hath no fury, eh otouto?" Sasuke said to Naruto. Sasuke had proven to be quite different from the Sasuke that had left Konoha to pursue power. He had grown to be more humorous and less emo. He still could use the dreaded "hn" to great effect however. Some things never change.

"Did you say something?" Sakura asked menacingly.

Sasuke's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and he stopped talking immediately.

Yamato, who still didn't trust Sasuke completely, spoke up, "Sasuke, you must understand that I can't trust you blindly and I have to treat you as a captured criminal until otherwise."

Sasuke's eye's dimmed slightly and his shoulders slumped.

"Why!?" Naruto shouted. "He killed Orochimaru. What more do you need?" Naruto yelled angrily, stabbing his finger at Yamato.

Yamato responded calmly by saying, "He betrayed Konoha and left of his own free will. No matter how good his intent he is still considered a nuke-nin and shall be treated as such."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply when Sasuke covered Naruto's mouth with his hand. "Naruto, he's right. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Sasuke stated and smiled warmly. "I'll be a good boy and go quietly."

"Good," Yamato said with a smile. "I'll hold you to it. Be a good boy and I'll make sure I credit you in killing Orochimaru."

"You'd damn well better!" Sakura said angrily.

Yamato, who had seen the damage that the woman could do when she was angry didn't dare say no.

"So Sasuke," Sakura said after a while. "What was it like with Orochimaru anyway?"

"Well other then the constant threat of being subjected to smooth, snaky, rape it was all right." Sasuke said in a flat voice like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Sakura's jaw hit the ground and plowed a furrow a few inches foreword.

"I was kidding Sakura." Sasuke laughed.

Naruto looked over to Sasuke and said in an accusing tone, "Who the hell are you and what have you done with Sasuke. Are old emo-prince never joked."

The question hung in the air and then, just like a bad odor on a windy day, it vanished and the whole group, sans Sai for obvious reasons (A.N. If you don't know why then you don't have any business reading Naruto.), burst out laughing.

Once they had quieted down Naruto said, "Seriously though, what did you do? That lightning thing was cool, and scary, as hell. You must have busted your butt hard learning to do that."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Just trained and trained. Think Gai and Lee. Don't tell them though or they might try to put me in that spandex."

Sakura and Naruto blanched. Sakura almost fainted with the idea of Sasuke in that horrid green abomination. Naruto swore under his breath that once he became Hokage he would ban that outfit for all of eternity.

The group talked for a while longer until Yamato suggested the turn in for the night and at first dawn head for Konoha. Nobody was in any mood to disagree.

_Later that night…_

Sakura woke up with a start. She looked around to see what had woken her. There was nothing waiting for her wandering eyes. Darkness was all there was. Darkness was all there was.

_Next mourning…_

Yamato awoke with a yawn. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and looked around. "Wake up people. We're moving out." He called. Sakura and Sai stirred immediately and sat up. Naruto and Sasuke didn't.

"Come on sleepyheads, it's time to go." Yamato said. "Don't make me come over there." The second part was said with the help of Yamato's "Shadowy Face no Jutsu".

The two bedrolls still didn't move. "Guys?" Yamato asked. He moved over and flipped the covers off with twin branches from his fingertips. There was no one under them.

"Shit!" Yamato swore. "Sakura, Sai, fan out and look for signs of them!" Yamato barked and then he proceeded to jump off on his own.

"No, Sasuke… Not again." Sakura thought as she jumped off to search.

Sai didn't show any expression.

_Unknown location…_

Sasuke awoke with a start. He found himself strapped down to a table in the middle of a dark room. The only light he could see was a single sputtering torch on the far wall of the room.

"Kukuku, I thought you'd never wake up, Sasuke."

Sasuke eyes went wide with horror. "No, I killed you. How?" He gasped.

Orochimaru stepped from the shadows. "You should know better Sasuke. You would have to do much better then that if you want to kill someone like me." Orochimaru said evilly. "That, and I have some plans for you and your little jinchuriki friend.

Upon hearing about Naruto Sasuke flew into a rage and struggled to free himself. "You will not hurt him!" Sasuke growled through clenched teeth. He struggled against his bonds to little avail.

"You won't be getting out of that, Sasuke my dear. Not even Tsunade herself could break the shackles I've designed." Orochimaru said as he advanced towards Sasuke. "Now for the part concerning you."

Sasuke continued to struggle as Orochimaru went through a series of hand seals. It was all in vain. Orochimaru cackled evil as his hands glowed with a purple energy that cast its sickly looking light across the chamber. Orochimaru slammed his hands onto Sasuke's chest. Sasuke screamed as the energy coursed into him. Then things started going blissfully black. The last thing he heard was, "Well, it worked on him and he is now more powerful then ever. When the Kyuubi brat gets the same treatment how powerful will he be? Kukuku"

_One week later…_

Sakura, Kakashi, Shino and Sai dashed through the hallways of Orochimaru's hideaway. They had been searching for weeks to find the location of Naruto and Sasuke. Yamato had been the one to find out where thanks to him torturing a captured Oto-nin for a few hours. They had learned that the two boys had been separated. One taken to the Northern base and the other to southern. They didn't know who was taken where.

Sakura rounded a corner and came face to face with an Oto-nin. Her right hook sent him flying through a wall. After a few minutes of searching Kakashi gave the order to branch off. Sakura continued to run through the halls. Eventually she came to a door that had a tremendous amount of seals on it. Most likely meant to keep an intruder out.

Sakura edged closer to the door. Upon closer inspection she noticed that the seals weren't meant to keep intruders out, but to keep the door from being opened from the inside.

"This must be it." Sakura said as she relayed her position the rest of her team. She looked the door over again and tried to open it. It didn't budge so she readied to punch it down. She got a running start and slammed her fist into the door. It still didn't budge. She readied again and punched. This time the door did break off it's hinges. She looked into the room.

The room was a sparse cell. A simple cot adorned the wall and their was a small toilet in the corner. Lying against the back wall was a figure. Looking closer Sakura realized that he had been thrown their from across the room, hard judging by the cracks in the wall behind him. Sakura realized that he had tried to brace himself against the door to prevent it from being opened.

The figure lifted it's head. "Get out of here…" The man gasped out, face contorted in a vicious grimace. The face was grey, with a dark star shaped mark that fell over the bridge of the nose. His eyes where black where the whites should have been with yellow irises. Long hair fell around the his shoulders. He was dressed in what remained of a battle kimono. Vicious tears and holes adorned the fabric to the point where it was impossible to tell what the fabrics original color had been.

Sakura reached out to the man. "It's O.K. I won't hurt you." She said in a comforting tone. Sakura assumed that this was one of Orochimaru's prisoners that had been cruelly experimented upon. She was sickened at what the snake did to his prisoners.

The figure suddenly straightened and lunged at her, pinning her to the wall with strength matching her own. His eyes, which had been filled with fear, where now overcome with vicious hunger. Sakura fought to free herself but this man was holding her down with little effort. Suddenly his eyes changed back to the fearful look. He looked as if he was trying to pull himself away from her but his body was doing otherwise.

Sakura continued to fight against the mans grip. Suddenly an Oto-nin rounded the corner at the end of the hallway. The man suddenly released Sakura and flew down the hallway. The Oto-nin never had a chance as he was borne to the ground. The man arched his neck and then bit down on the Oto-nin's throat. Sakura screamed as a crimson geyser arched from the Oto-nin's neck. The man, however, sucked up the blood like it was all that mattered.

The gruesome feast continued for about a minute. Then the man slumped to the ground. Sakura huddled in fear against the back wall of the cell. Eventually she got enough courage to approach the man again. This time, however she had a kunai out incase he attacked again.

Kakashi, Shino and Sai rounded the corner. Kakashi gasped at the sight before him. Blood spattered walls and the corpse with a person hunched over it.

"Sensei, don't get to close!" Sakura cautioned.

Suddenly, the man stirred again. "Please… kill me." The man gasped out. "Sakura..."

Sakura took a step back. How did he know her name. It dawned on Kakashi and Sakura at the same time.

"Please… I don't want to hurt anyone else…" Sasuke said.

Sakura rushed to the fallen Uchiha and fell to her knees beside him. "Sasuke, what did Orochimaru do to you?" She cried.

Sasuke tried to move away from Sakura. "Please, Sakura, do it now, before the thirst takes me again." Sasuke pleaded.

"Sasuke…" Sakura cried.

Kakashi moved over to his former student. "Now calm down Sasuke. I'm sure there is a way to fix this." He said calmly. "Plus, I don't think Naruto would be happy if you were killed."

Upon hearing the name of his beloved otouto, Sasuke sat bolt upright. "Where is he? We need to get to him now!" Sasuke exclaimed as he started to rise to his feet.

"North base apparently." Shino said from his position by the wall.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "How many men did you send?" Sasuke asked urgently.

Kakashi answered, "Four, Yamato, Hinata, Kiba and Lee."

Sasuke blanched. "That's not going to be enough." He said. He then turned on his heel and ran down the hallway. The group followed him.

"Sasuke, wait. Do you know how far we are?" Kakashi called urgently. Sasuke didn't answer as they burst to the surface.

Sasuke turned and said, "I'll bring Naruto back. He saved my life and it's time I returned the favor." Sasuke then leaped into the sky. Two hand like wings erupted from his back and he flew off in the direction of North Base.

"I'm coming otouto." Sasuke thought. "And this time no one will stop us from going home."

* * *

O.K. Let's clear some things up. Sasuke is vampiric, not a vampire. He is pretty much stuck in his level 2 curse form and I needed a way to compensate for the massive chakra usage that comes from using that form, hense the need for consumption of human blood. Second, he cannot make other people into things like him because if he could I would probably have to turn Sakura into one to.

Naruto has recieved the same jutsu from Orochimaru but it just makes him more demonic in his apperence. I won't spoil it for you though. His major issue will probably be phsycotic rampages when he gets angry or something but I haven't worked that out yet.

The plot will mostly revolve around Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata and Itachi who's involvement will come later in the story. The basic idea is that Naruto and Sasuke consider themselves inhuman and they hide themselves away from the village. It will be their story of coming to copes with what has happened to them.

As I said before, comment or face the wrath of my monotone. (Laughs evilly before getting hit in the back of head with giant stuffed penguin. I have a giant stuffed penguin, don't ask.)

Feel free to ask me any questions about the story in reviews or PMs, I really don't care.


	2. Reunion

Hey everybidy, chapter two is up. And I'm in California. Wahoo.

_Christmas time has come at last._

_Time for a well deserved rapast._

_I'm going to Cali for the rest of the year..._

_So screw you all, I"m out of here._

_-Song sung by me as soon as I got out of my last midterm. _

* * *

Hinata ducked under an Oto-nins blow and returned with a juken strike to his heart. Her chakra immediately liquefied the organ and the man slumped to the ground dead. Hinata spun off to see what else was going on, all the while fighting the urge to throw up. Hinata hated killing, loathed it to an immense degree. She, however, knew it was necessary if she ever wanted to see Naruto again.

A few feet away Yamato fought another group of Oto-ninja. He used branches extended from his hands like clubs to swat the enemy away. Things where not going well. They had arrived at the coordinates that the captured Oto-nin had given him. When they got there they had run smack into about a dozen enemy ninja. Yamato was sure that there was also more nearby, hiding amongst the darkness cast by the large spires of stone, which were thrust out of the ground like the teeth of some gigantic beast, because of the moonlight that flitted between them. If not for the battle going on it would have looked beautiful.

"Gatsūga!!!" Kiba howled as he and Akamaru drilled through a group of three ninja. They fell to the stone, in pieces. He and Akamaru had dealt with five of the Oto-nin but more kept coming. Oto-nin weren't strong but they made up for it with numbers. Quantity over quality he guessed. He steeled himself for another attack as another group of ninja closed in. "Let's go Akamaru!" Kiba yelled and Akamaru barked his agreement.

"Konoha Senpū!!!" Lee called as he kicked a pair of Oto-nins into next week. Lee moved like a serpent, darting and striking with great efficiency and unmatched speed. Lee knew, however, that he was in trouble. Moving at his top speed resulted in a massive drain in stamina and he would not be able to keep up his powerful taijutsu. His resolve to rescue Naruto and Sasuke, as he did not know who was in the base, drove him on. Lee howled something about the "Flames if Youth" and sent another opponent flying with a mighty punch.

_North base interior…_

Naruto sat in a corner of his cell. He didn't know what Orochimaru had done to him but he knew it wasn't good. He had been transformed into something monstrous, he was sure of it.

"What has Orochimaru done to me?" Naruto thought as he slipped out of consciousness again.

Outside the cell Orochimaru looked at his new toy with a satisfied smirk on his face. His jutsu had been successful. Now Naruto was the monster that Orochimaru could control, use as a weapon, and a possible future body. "Kukuku, my ambition will not be stopped by anyone." Orochimaru cackled as he turned and walked out the door. The pests outside needed to be dealt with.

_Back outside…_

Yamato ducked under another blow and speared the offending ninja with a sharp branch from the palm of his hand. "Mukoton: Yari!" Yamato said as he sent living spears of wood into the ground that burst up again when in the proximity of enemy ninja. Impaling them and lifting them off the ground to hang grotesquely in the air.

Yamato, Hinata, Kiba and Lee continued to fight fiercely but where being worn down.

"Damn it!" Kiba swore. "I can't keep this up!"

The group continued to fight. Eventually it ended up with them being surrounded in a ring of Oto-nins. Lee could barely stand. Kiba was out cold after receiving a wicked punch from and Oto-nin. Said ninja was currently maimed very badly by Akamaru, who had reached the end of his rope as well. Yamato's left arm had been cut badly and he was losing blood. He knew that if he didn't close the cut he would soon fall unconscious from blood loss. Hinata fared the best as she had not been wounded yet she was still dead tired from fighting non-stop for so long.

"So this is the end…" She thought. "Naruto, I'm sorry I never got to tell you how I feel about you."

Suddenly a shadow was cast over the group. Looking up Hinata saw a figure standing on top of one of the spires, hands spread out at waist level and wings spread out behind him like a giant bird of prey.

The figure called out with a guttural growl, "Where is otouto…!?"

The Oto-ninjas turned to face the figure.

"Where is he?" The figure growled again.

An Oto-nin stepped foreword. "I don't know what your talking about you demonic freak and I don't care. Get out of here before I kill you." He yelled.

No sooner had he finished the sentence when Sasuke, for of course it was he, blurred of the spire and reappeared in front of the ninja.

"Then you shall die." Sasuke said ferociously and he simply tore the mans head off. Hinata screamed. This scream called the Oto-nins attention back to Hinata and the rest of the team. An Oto-nin leapt foreword, intending to drive a kunai into Hinata's heart and forever silence her.

That ninja made it about two feet before he was killed by Sasuke. In less then a minute it was over. None of the Oto-nins were left standing. All dead, most missing limbs and/or heads.

Sasuke, bathed in the blood of his foes, turned to face the group. "Hurry, we must get inside." Sasuke said as he started for the entrance of the base, which was located between two of the ever present rock spires. His wings retracted back into his back as he walked.

"Wait, who are you?" Hinata asked.

Yamato, who had staunched the bleeding to his arm, backed her up. "Yes. Who are you. You may have helped us out of a tight spot here but I can't trust you blindly."

Sasuke turned and said in a flat tone. "That's not the first time I've heard that from you. Stay here if you want, I'm going to find my otouto."

It clicked in Yamato's head. "Sasuke...?" Yamato gasped, quietly so no one else could hear. Sasuke, however, was already gone. Yamato turned around to his team. "Stay here. I'm going in after him."

Without another word Yamato ran through the entrance to the base. Hinata, Lee, Akamaru and the unconscious Kiba, where left out amongst the dead, which numbered about 70. "I wonder who he was." Hinata thought.

_Inside North Base…_

Orochimaru walked through the halls of his base, heading towards the surface. Rounding a corner he saw a scene of complete destruction and carnage. Bodies littered the corridor, blood everywhere as though some insane artist had tried to paint the place red. One of the bodies stirred. Orochimaru grabbed the man by the collar. "What happened here?" Orochimaru growled.

The man, who was barely conscious, whispered, "Monster…" He then expired. Orochimaru hurled the body down the hallway in anger.

"Monster… I wonder what is here." Orochimaru muttered as he stalked onwards. Orochimaru then decided against going outside and sunk into the floor.

_Inside North Base, near Naruto's cell…_

An Oto-nin screamed as Sasuke lunged down the hallway and tackled him to the ground. The man continued to scream. Sasuke slammed him into the wall. "Where is otouto…?" Sasuke growled in his face, eye's glowing menacingly.

"I don't know who you are talking about." The man babbled out. "The prisoners are down that way, please don't kill me."

Sasuke tossed the man down the hallway into a wall. When the man hit, he left a sizeable hole on the wall as he continued on to a room on the other side.

Sasuke turned down the hallway and continued on. He felt invincible. "Naruto, I swear I'll find you." Sasuke muttered as he rounded the next corner. A large doorway sat at the end of another long hallway. Sasuke tore it off its hinges without slowing down. A sad sight greeted him. Rows of prison cells lined the walls. Sasuke's anger boiled as he walked down the rows of cells. The prisoners shrank back in fear as he passed by; probably mistaking him for one of Orochimaru's servants. With a flicker of his will Sasuke caused the doors of the cells to burst off their hinges and fall to the ground.

Sasuke walked into one of the cells, which held ragged women who looked like she hadn't eaten in days. She probably hadn't, Sasuke knew. Orochimaru never took care of his prisoners and they often died in their cells of hunger. The woman shrank back from his terrifying form.

Sasuke reached out to her. She cried out in fear as his hand came closer. She thought he meant to kill her or perhaps worse. She closed her eyes and waited for the end to come. She felt his hand on her shoulder and surprisingly, nothing more then that. She dared open her eyes to look into Sasuke's.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." Sasuke whispered. "I'm looking for my brother." He slowly pulled the women to her feet, careful not to hurt her, she was so frail she looked like a twig and could be snapped like one.

The woman spoke in a quiet voice. "I know not who. I haven't seen anyone like you here."

Sasuke frowned and said, "He doesn't look like me. Blond hair. Orange and black jumpsuit."

The women nodded in recognition, "Orochimaru, curse that inhuman snake, brought him here a few days ago. Took him down the hallway and through there." She indicated the door down the room from her cell.

"Thank you." Sasuke said. "Most of the guards are dead. Can you make it out on your own?" Sasuke asked as he turned to leave.

"Yes. The woman said. She stepped out of the cell after Sasuke. "Wait!" She cried. "Who are you?"

Sasuke was already gone. The woman turned and gathered the other prisoners. "I won't forget this, whoever you are." She and the rest of the prisoners left the room and moved through the halls of the base to find the exit.

Sasuke walked down the corridor on the other side of the door that the woman had indicated. This corridor was larger then the others and had pillars going down either side. Sasuke continued his trek between them. Eventually he reached a large door. About ten feet tall it held massive designs of snakes. "It seems that Orochimaru extends his preferences everywhere." Sasuke muttered. He tried to move the door but it refused to open. Sasuke growled in anger and moved back away from the door. Sasuke made the required hand signs and formed a Chidori. Unlike his usual Chidori, however, this one glowed with a black, pulsing energy. Sasuke briefly remembered using a similar technique at the Valley of the End. (A.N. This move is called Flapping Chidori. However, due to the fact that I think this name is lame I shall be referring to it as Blackstar Chidori, which sounds cooler.)

Sasuke charged and slammed his hands into the door where he hoped the locking mechanism was located. When the move hit, however, the door, as well as being pierced, started to shudder and grown as the arcs of electricity played across its surface. Sasuke leapt back to avoid getting caught in the electrical storm that his move had generated. The snakes that covered the door almost seemed to writhe as if the were alive. The door then crumpled into dust.

"That works to, I guess." Sasuke muttered and dashed through the door. The sight that greeted him was not one he had wanted to see. The room was divided in half by a row of steel bars, each as thick as telephone poles. From the gaps in the bars Sasuke could make out a small room that was furnished similar to the one he had left at the base he was imprisoned in.

"Snake… What have you done?!" Roared a voice from the inside of bars. Suddenly an arm made of demonic chakra reached out through the bars to grab Sasuke. Sasuke couldn't react fast enough and was latched on to and yanked into the bars.

"Snaaaake!" Naruto roared as he pulled harder. The bars broke and Sasuke was hurled into the fall. Naruto, at least Sasuke thought so, leaped from the shadows with an arm raised high. An arm that was covered in golden fur from the hand to the elbow. Sasuke managed to grab Naruto's arm. Naruto continued to press on, eyes glowing with unrestrained rage. Eyes that no longer held any trace of humanity, just the slitted eyes of the Kyuubi.

Sasuke recoiled in fear. "Otouto, it's me!" Sasuke gasped out as he tried to keep Naruto from tearing his head off. "Naruto its Sasuke!" Sasuke closed his eyes and prepared for the end when the pressure ceased.

Sasuke opened his eyes. Naruto sat over in the corner, cradling his head in his arms. "Sasuke…?" Naruto whispered out. He lifted his head again, tears streaming down his face, sobs shaking his body. With Naruto not trying to permanently remove his head from his shoulders he could examine what had been done to Naruto.

"Naruto…" Sasuke started and he let his voice trail off. Naruto was changed completely. His eyes, not Kyuubified, still held slitted pupils but shone their usual cerulean. Gold furred kitsune ears poked off the top of his head. A gold furred tail poked out of his paints and curled around his waist. His hair was more like fur, the hair at his temples was longer, and it extended down to mid chest. His prized orange jumpsuit was torn and ragged. Through the holes Sasuke could see that there was also fur on his lower legs. Naruto's teeth had grown into fangs.

"Aniki, what did Orochimaru do to me?" Naruto sobbed out.

_North Base interior, with Yamato…_

Yamato rounded a corner and ran smack into the entire population of prisoners from North Base. The prisoners screeched to a halt.

Yamato almost face faulted. He regained his composure. "Uh hi. Could someone tell me what's going on here.

One prisoner, a man stepped foreword. "You from Konoha?" He asked hopefully, indicating Yamato's forehead protector.

"Yes, yes." Yamato said. "Now could you tell me what happened?"

The same man stuttered out, "It was a demon! It came in and let us out!"

Suddenly a women's voice rang out from the back of the crowd. "Not a demon! A hero!" A young women, the same young women from earlier pushed to the front of the crowd. "A hero he was! What demon would come into this place of evil to release prisoners?!" There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd.

Yamato addressed the women, "Pray tell who you are."

The women answered, "My name is Whisper. Are you with the one who saver us?"

Yamato responded with, "Yes, assuming this savior has grey skin with a star shaped patch of black on his nose."

Whisper nodded in recognition. "Yes, that is him."

Yamato's opinion of Sasuke went through the roof. Yamato smiled, Sasuke was trust worthy and when they got back to the village Yamato would make sure he was seen as a hero.

_Outside…_

Hinata sat and fiddled nervously. She didn't like being out here. Lee had fallen unconscious to and Akamaru was holding on, barely. Suddenly Akamaru started growling.

"Kukuku, A little bird, far from home. This is a wonderful opportunity to conduct an experiment." Orochimaru cackled as he advanced on Hinata.

* * *

Well that's it. I'm probably not going to be able to post for the next two weeks or so because of the holiday so hunker down and read The Fox Knight or something. (One of the insperations for this story, find it in my favorites.) Naruto's appearence in this fic borrows hevily from the picture Akatsuki Naruto. Look it up to get an idea of what Naruto looks like.


	3. What Has He Done To Us?

Hello people. Welcome to chapter three of What It Means To Be Human. This was a hard chapter to wright but I'm proud of it.

**Ryoku**:You had better be.

**Me**:What the hell? I thought you were dead.

**Ryoku**: Not so... well yeah.

**RTW Naruto**: Hey Ryoku!

**RTW Sasuke**: Weren't you dead.

**RTW Kyuubi**: Yeah.

**RTW Itachi**: You were definatly dead.

**Dante**: I want pizza.

**Virgil**:...

**Me**: Oh god. It's happening. Leaf Ranger warned me but I didn't listen. NOOOOOO!

* * *

"What has Orochimaru done to me?"

Sasuke tried to answer, "Naruto, I…"

Naruto buried his head in his hands and wept. Sasuke got up from his position lying against the wall and went to Naruto.

"Hey, it's O.K." Sasuke said comfortingly. Naruto looked up again, eyes overflowing with tears.

"How? How can you say that? Look at me." Naruto whimpered. "I'm a monster."

"Naruto, you're not the only one." Sasuke said back.

Naruto looked at Sasuke, puzzled. "But you can change back. I've seen you like this before."

"Not any more. Whatever Orochimaru did to you he did to me. Where in this together." Sasuke said. He then added with fire, "You swore to bring me back. It's time I returned the favor." Sasuke pulled Naruto to his feet and guided him to the door.

"But Sasuke, look at me. I can't go like this." Naruto sobbed.

Sasuke looked at his friend and said, "Your appearance doesn't matter to me. I know you, this is just a face."

Naruto looked at Sasuke and realized how much this man cared for him. Naruto stopped crying.

"Come on, we'll find you a cloak or something. Then we go home." Sasuke said, determination filling his voice.

_North Base, with Yamato…_

Yamato had directed the prisoners towards the ext and was moving deeper into the base. Eventually he came to the same bloodstained corridor that Orochimaru had passed through earlier.

"He's been through here alright." Yamato muttered as he picked his way through the bodies. Once reaching the end of the corridor Yamato called out, "Sasuke, where are you?"

To Yamato's surprise and relief Sasuke answered. "Yes. We're here."

Sasuke rounded the corner with Naruto. Naruto now wore a white cloak that possibly had belonged to Kabuto at some point. Sasuke had the same style of cloak on but without the hood up. Naruto was keeping his face hidden.

"Naruto?" Yamato asked.

"Yes Captain Yamato." Naruto replied in a sheepish voice.

"Captain, can I speak to you for a minute?" Sasuke asked.

Yamato nodded and Sasuke walked over to him.

"I take it this is concerning Naruto." Yamato whispered.

"Sadly yes." Sasuke returned. "You are probably wondering why He has that cloak on."

"Yes." Yamato responded.

Sasuke looked back at Naruto. "Orochimaru did something to us. I don't know what but it made me the way I am now. This form I'm in is usually only available when I enter my level two curse mark form. Apparently Orochimaru found a way to unlock it permanently. Now, however, I'm plagued with the need to consume…" Sasuke shuddered. "Human blood. This might be my body's way of compensating for the requirements of massive stamina consumption that this form usually requires to stay active. I think that when Orochimaru used the jutsu on Naruto it might have fused his body with his tenant's."

Yamato gasped. "So Naruto is…?"

"I don't know. His appearance is demonic. He himself is an emotional wreck right now." Sasuke said sadly.

"What do think is best?" Yamato asked.

Sasuke shook his head sadly. "I don't know. The best thing to do is probably take him back to the village. Maybe the Hokage can help."

"Yes that is probably best." Yamato agreed. Sasuke motioned to Naruto and they began to walk towards the exit. "Nice job with those prisoners, Sasuke." Yamato said.

"Thanks."

_Outside…_

Yamato, Sasuke and Naruto moved out to the surface. Sasuke moved with determination, wanting nothing more then to leave the foul place and go home. Naruto moved slower, almost staggering. His head was spinning, thoughts moving in a maelstrom of sadness. The sight that greeted them was, to put it simply, an absolute horror.

Orochimaru held Hinata against one of the rock spires, his sword impaling her to the stone, through the left shoulder. "Kukuku, you want to save your precious Naruto, am I right." Orochimaru cackled.

Hinata responded by trying to hit Orochimaru with her right arm. Orochimaru caught her hand. "This would be the hand that you would use to comfort him, yes?" Orochimaru said.

Hinata struggled and tried all the harder to break free. Her eyes shone with determination. "I won't let you stop me." Hinata gasped out.

Orochimaru cackled again and tore of Hinata's arm. Hinata screamed in agony as a geyser of red erupted from the stump of her arm.

"Such wonderful blood." Orochimaru laughed. He licked his lips.

Hinata struggled again, still trying to free herself. "And such wonderful eyes." Orochimaru said. With jabs of his hand he tore out both of Hinata's eyes. (A.N. God, I feel like I'm clubbing a baby seal. This brutality is necessary for the plot however. Still, it is just too cruel.)

Naruto screamed.

Orochimaru turned towards them. He slid his sword out of Hinata's shoulder. "We'll it looks like I've offended the little fox." Orochimaru cackled.

Naruto seethed with anger. The air around him took on a golden glow. "You… will… PAY!!!" Naruto roared as he charged Orochimaru.

Orochimaru cackled all the louder as he made a one handed seal. Naruto stopped in his tracks, golden aura blowing out like a candle.

"You can do nothing against me, foolish little fox. My jutsu gives me complete control over you." Orochimaru said. Naruto's face twisted into a hideous grimace as he took another step foreword.

It was Orochimaru's turn to grimace. He redoubled his efforts. This time Naruto did stop, but still he struggled. He would not give up, not with people being hurt because of him.

Sasuke growled and tried to advance but he to felt the effects of the jutsu. He couldn't move. Try as he might he just couldn't.

"**Need s**_ome__he_**lp Sasuke**?Said a voice in Sasuke's head. A voice that rapidly distorted and went from deep to screech and back again.

"What?!" Sasuke grunted.

"**You ne**_ed my he_**lp, yes**?" The voice asked. "**Come… embrace the**_Darkness_."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, who continued to struggle, and to Hinata, who had been brutalized by the very man he had failed to kill. "Do it." Sasuke said.

Orochimaru cackled madly as he advanced. Yamato tried to stop him but was swatted aside. He stopped by Naruto. "Kukuku, such power. Pity you can't move." Orochimaru said lazily. His long tong licked Naruto across the face. Naruto struggled against invisible bonds and tried to hit Orochimaru. "Kukuku, it's quite pointless. Nothing but the power of a god could free someone from these bonds."

"Ironic." Growled a voice from a few feet away. Orochimaru turned and got hit across the face by a tendril of what appeared to be pure darkness. The force of the blow shattered his concentration and sent him flying.

"What?!" Orochimaru growled out as he picked himself up off the ground. Suddenly a figure appeared before him. The silhouette matched Sasuke's but there was nothing there but darkness and eyes that glowed a malevolent yellow. In front of Orochimaru two pairs of eyes grew from the silhouette's shoulders and formed into a pair of snake like creatures. These creatures sank their teeth into Orochimaru's arms and tore them both off. Orochimaru growled in pain and tried to get away but another tendril of darkness impaled him the the rock.

"Well, finish it…" Orochimaru growled. The silhouette smirked and used the tendril to flick Orochimaru towards Naruto, who was now free from Orochimaru's binding.

"You do it, otouto." Sasuke smirked as it was he who had beaten Orochimaru.

Naruto, his golden aura returned in full, advanced. "Orochimaru, you will pay." Naruto moved slowly towards Orochimaru. Suddenly, hundreds of chakra spheres, gold and blue, erupted from Naruto. Naruto then did something that had never been done before. All of the chakra thinned into strands and gathered into a Rasengan in Naruto's right palm.

"Snake, this is for all of us. For all the people you've hurt. Feel this, the wrath of all those you've hurt." Naruto rumbled. His voice spewed power. Orochimaru realized the power of the Rasengan and tried to escape but tendrils of darkness from Sasuke restrained him.

Naruto broke into a run and lifted his Rasengan high into the air. To Orochimaru's surprise and horror it distorted the space around it, causing a hurricane in space and time.

"Take this! Rasengan: Judgment!!!" Naruto roared as he plunged the Rasengan into Orochimaru's chest.

To all watching the two where surrounded by a nimbus of glowing light. The Darkness tendrils retracted from the light, hissing violently as the light burned them. Sasuke was illuminated and the Darkness burned away from him. The nimbus expanded and out of the back erupted a beam of pure light. This beam was about the width of 100 yards and it carried out into the distance, beyond sight.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. Darkness returned and it was just Naruto, Sasuke and Yamato standing on an open plain of stone, the spires destroyed by the might of Naruto's attack.

Naruto fell to his knees, drained by the effort the attack had required. "Heh, looks like I won this time you piece of trash." Naruto muttered. He was about to fall foreword when Sasuke caught him

"Good job, otouto." Sasuke offered. A whimper of pain alerted the two.

"No, Hinata…" Naruto whimpered as he rushed towards the fallen Hyuuga.

"Naruto… is that you?" Hinata whispered.

Yamato rushed to their sides. "Hinata, don't speak!" He ordered.

Hinata smiled sadly. "I'm afraid it's too late for that." She whispered, without stuttering. At the end she started to confess her love for Naruto. "At least I got to hear your… voice… once…more…" Hinata stopped.

"No!" Naruto yelled.

He tried to wake her but she was to far gone.

"No!" Naruto yelled again.

Sasuke put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm sorry otouto. There is nothing else to do."

Naruto turned to Sasuke and said, "Nothing is written." With that he delved deep into his own mind.

_Naruto's Mindscape…_

Naruto entered his mindscape and noticed two things, one the place didn't look like a sewer anymore and two the normal suffocating presence of the Kyuubi wasn't there. Never the less he walked towards the Kyuubi's cage, all the while saying over and over, "Nothing is written, nothing is written."

Once he reached the Kyuubi's cage he called out. "Furball, wake up."

The Kyuubi pushed it's head up to the bars. "What do you want kit?"

Naruto noticed something different; Kyuubi's head had gold fur now for some reason. Never the less he pressed on. "One of my friends is hurt and I want you to heal them."

Kyuubi laughed and said, "I assume you mean the Hyuuga girl."

"Her name is Hinata." Naruto said angrily.

"What will you give me?" Kyuubi asked.

Naruto thought long and hard. From what he had seen, Hinata had laid down her life to try to save him. She may even have loved him. What was love?

"I'd give you you're freedom." Naruto said finally.

Kyuubi took a step back. He knew that Naruto cared for his friends but never this much, to loose him, Kyuubi, the worst of all demons.

"Kid, you've got guts. I'll do it for free." Kyuubi said.

"What!" Naruto exclaimed.

Kyuubi didn't answer as he puffed out a breath that blew Naruto out of the room and out of the mindscape.

"Damn, his qualities must be rubbing off on me." Kyuubi muttered as he began to funnel chakra into Naruto.

_Outside North Base…_

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he lifted his palm over Hinata. Suddenly gold light seemed to fall from Naruto's hand and into Hinata. Hinata's eyelids opened and gold light spilled from the sockets as well as the stump of her arm and the hole in her left shoulder where Orochimaru had pierced her. Her back arched and she screamed as the healing chakra rushed through her, healing all her wounds and restoring her to full health.

Naruto screamed to as the massive chakra boiled from his system and into the girl on the ground. Sasuke couldn't watch as he used a wing to shield himself and Yamato from the light. Then it was over. Naruto slumped and Sasuke caught him.

"Otouto, that was incredible." Sasuke breathed. Hinata was fully healed and well. The only evidence of wounds where the holes in her clothes and the blood that stained them.

Hinata opened her restored eyes. "Naruto… is that you. What happened?"

Naruto realized to his horror that his hood had fallen down.

_Iwagakure, the Slab…_

An Iwa-nin wandered down the halls of Iwa's inescapable prison. Suddenly pain knifed through the ninja's back. He fell into death. The last thing he saw where glowing eyes.

"Inescapable… they haven't made a prison that can hold me yet." The man said in a deep baritone voice as he crept down the hallway. After a few more guards where killed the man escaped out a vent shaft and into the streets of Iwa.

"Looks like I'll be heading away." The man muttered as he hid his eyes under tinted welding goggles. The man left the village, but kept a shiv hidden, just in case.

* * *

**Ryoku**: Who was that guy?

**Me**: You should know.

**Everyone**: Have a Merry Christmas

**Me**: And a happy New Year. Now review, I command you.


	4. Your Not A Monster

_Me: Here's a new chap every one. Sorry for the wait._

_Ryoku: You should be sorry, I want to find out what happens next._

_Everyone: Yeah!_

_Me: Look, when you have a busy holiday schedule, a mom who is possibly the reincarnation of Tsunade in terms of bossyness._

_Everyone: Just get on with it!_

_Me: Patience has it's rewards... and so does walking into a harem covered in chocolate._

_RTW Naruto: Hey! Thats the Prince of Persia's line._

_Me: If it ain't broke don't fix it._

* * *

"Naruto, is that you? What happened?" Hinata gasped out. Naruto recoiled and sat back away from the Hyuga heiress, his head hung low.

Hinata sat up and began to stand when Sasuke held her down. "Please, don't move. You could still be damaged." Hinata never the less stood and moved to Naruto.

"Naruto?" Hinata whispered.

Naruto flinched away from her and hid his face in his fur covered hands. Sasuke moved over to her and said. "Orochimaru did something to him. He's not himself right now."

Hinata turned towards him. "What?"

Sasuke hung his head sadly. "Naruto's body has been fused with that of the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Hinata stepped back. "Th-the Kyuubi. H-how is that possible." Hinata stuttered out. "The Yondaime killed it."

Yamato sighed. "That isn't true."

"Wh-what?" Hinata stuttered. "Wh-what does the Kyuubi have to do with Naruto?"

Sasuke said, "You might want to sit down." Hinata wordlessly complied as she sat next to Naruto, who still hid his face.

Yamato sat across from Hinata and began to tell Hinata of Naruto's inner demon. "Fifteen years ago when the demon Kitsune, the Kyuubi, attacked Konoha for reasons unknown, are current Hokage, the Yondaime, went out to face it. He knew that the Kyuubi could not be killed by mortals, it being the strongest of the tailed beasts and having a near limitless amount of chakra. The only way to stop such a being is to seal it away. The Kyuubi, being so powerful, could not be sealed into an object, animal or adult human as it would break free almost instantaneously. The only option would be a new born infant, one who's chakra pathways where not yet developed."

Hinata's eyes grew wet with tears. "So Naruto is…"

Yamato continued, "Yes, he is the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Because of this he has had to suffer for the Kyuubi's crimes for his whole life. The Yondaime wanted him to be seen as a hero but those idiot villagers see him as the Kyuubi itself. Because of this the Sandaime was forced to pass a law that forbid the older generations from telling the younger."

Hinata remembered the glares that the villagers gave Naruto, the whispers of demon and monster when he walked by.

Hinata straitened. "But, he's still Naruto? Right?" Hinata did not stutter.

Naruto said, "Hinata, I can understand if you don't want to be near me. Who wants to be friends with a demon."

Hinata's eyes grew wide. She grabbed Naruto's wrists and looked into his eyes. "Naruto, you're not a demon, your you."

Naruto's eyes, full of sadness, looked back, "But look at me, I'm a monster."

Hinata all but shouted, "Naruto, you're not a monster. Would a monster try to turn Neji away from the path of destruction he was on? Would a monster try to save a friend from falling under the influence of Orochimaru? Would a monster save me?"

Sasuke spoke up, "Would a monster be as forgiving to a person who pushed a Chidori through his chest? Would a monster keep fighting to convince me that I was on the wrong path? Would a monster be the brother I never had?"

Hinata then realized just who this man was. "Sasuke…"

Sasuke nodded sadly.

"But…" Naruto stuttered. He was silenced as Hinata laid her hand on his cheek.

"Naruto… this is just a face. Who you are on the inside counts for more." Hinata smiled.

Naruto realized how much Hinata cared for him, how far she was willing to go to save him from the darkness that was gripping him.

"Hinata… do you…?" Naruto started when Sasuke suddenly doubled over and grimaced painfully.

"Sasuke!?" Yamato started.

"The thirst…" Sasuke grunted out through clenched teeth. "Get… away… from me!" Sasuke howled and threw himself away from the group, towards the base. Maybe there would be a body from which he could quench his thirst. This was not to be. The prisoners had found their way to the surface and were boiling to the surface. Sasuke turned and tried to move away. "Keep away from me!"

Then the Darkness revealed its presence again. The twin serpents grew from Sasuke's shoulders and plunged into the rubble. Suddenly Sasuke stopped struggling and collapsed again.

"**You** _see_?" The Darkness whispered into Sasuke's head. "**Our power needs **_sustenance._"

Sasuke realized what the Darkness meant as he felt the serpents devour the heart of an Oto-nin buried under the rubble. (A.N. The Darkness feeds on shadows and hearts. This is why Sasuke needs blood.)

Naruto, who had pulled his hood up on sight of the prisoners, ran to his fallen friend. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke straitened as the serpents retracted into his back. "I'm fine Naruto. I have it under control now."

Yamato knew he was trying to stop Naruto from worrying. Thankfully this succeeded and Naruto was placated.

It was about that time when Lee, Akamaru and Kiba began to awake.

"What's going on? Did we win?" Kiba mumbled.

Hinata giggled as she went to check on her friend.

_Forest Glade, twenty hours later…_

Naruto, Sasuke, Yamato, Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru and Lee gathered around a fire somewhere in north Fire country. After directing the prisoners, lead by Whisper, to the nearest civilization, the group began to travel south towards Konoha. Naruto still kept his hood up and his head hung low, not wanting his friends to see him. Kiba had begun to ask why he had the hood up when he was silenced by a glare from Sasuke that would have made Itachi jealous. Kiba hadn't said a word since then. Then it started to rain, as if reflecting the storm of emotions that was rolling beneath the surface of the group. Kiba, Akamaru and Lee were still shocked that the mysterious winged person had happened to be Sasuke. They had immediately warmed up to him when they found out that he had been the one to release the prisoners and rescued Naruto almost singlehandedly. Naruto got a lot of praise for killing Orochimaru, to which he simply muttered, "yeah," and continued on his way. Lee, of course, pranced around yelling about the flames of youth. Sasuke finally got him to stop by using his wings to cover his ears.

The group found a cave like hollow in one of the massive trees that permeated the area. They settled in and Yamato began to light another fire. Once the fire ignited the hollow began to fill with smoke. Yamato doused the fire and told the others that they would have to sleep without a fire. Everyone wordlessly did so and settled in. Akamaru and Kiba curled up in a corner together. The rest just picked respective positions and went to sleep. Naruto, due to his alterations, curled up into a ball instead of his usual spread eagle pose. He still snored though. Hinata looked at him and giggled before laying down her self and falling into a dreamless slumber.

_Forty five minutes later…_

Naruto woke up with a start. Looking around he noticed nothing. He still felt something, some bad vibe that was coming from outside. Quietly, so he didn't wake the others, he got up and walked out into the rain. He scanned the area for trouble and again he saw nothing out of the ordinary. The mysterious vibe continued to tug at his senses, although this time it seemed to have a clear direction. Naruto followed the vibe through the woods, hopping from tree to tree, on all fours as often as on his feet. As he moved he conversed with Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi, are you feeling this?" Naruto asked the giant kitsune that lived inside of him.

"Yes kit, and I don't like it. I haven't felt something like this since…" His voice trailed off.

Naruto was about to ask what the Kyuubi was talking about when he heard what sounded like a child crying. He immediately changed directions towards the noise. He burst through some bushes and he arrived in a small clear patch of the forest floor.

The crying sound was coming from a small kitsune that was lying next to the body of another kitsune, this one larger. Vicious slash marks adorned the two bodies.

"What did this?!" The Kyuubi growled. Its voice so filled with fury that Naruto could almost feel the heat of the words. The little kitsune let out another small whimper.

Naruto leapt to the small kitsune. The kitsune, a kit, upon noticing Naruto, said in a small voice, "Please help. Mommy, mommy wake up."

Naruto almost took a step back but instead managed to reply, "What happened?"

The kit was hysterical and continued to whimper, "Mommy, mommy, wake up."

Naruto reached out to try to comfort the small kitsune. The kit's voice suddenly waivered and the kits head slumped to the ground.

Kyuubi yelled at Naruto, "We must save him!"

"How?" Naruto asked.

"Funnel my chakra into him, just like you did with your friend before." The Kyuubi said quickly.

Naruto did as instructed and watched as the golden energy drifted from his palm into the kits limp body. The slash marks on the kits body began to close, flesh knitting back together.

"How can I understand what he is saying?" Naruto asked the Kyuubi.

"All demons have an ability to understand a certain animal." The Kyuubi mentally communed back.

Naruto's shoulder slumped. "So it's true. I am a demon."

The Kyuubi's voice filled his head with an angry yell, "No you are not! Maybe in body kit but never in soul! I know you, I've lived inside of you your whole life and you are more human than anyone else I've ever known!"

Naruto was taken back by this. This sudden backing of him. "Kyuubi… I don't know what to say."

Kyuubi sighed and returned, "Focus on healing the kit, we'll talk about this later."

Naruto nodded and refocused his efforts. Naruto then noticed that the kit's fur was beginning to turn golden, like the fur on his own arms and legs.

"Kyuubi, what's happening?" Naruto asked the Kyuubi.

"I'm making him a demon kitsune." The Kyuubi replied.

Naruto almost lost concentration. "What?! You're turning him into a demon."

"It's the least I can do for the kit. He has no family now. You will have to serve as his father and teach him how to be great."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. "I thought all demons were evil."

Kyuubi looked offended… well as offended as a nine tailed demonic kitsune could. "No, my kind is of both cloths."

"Oh, that's good to know." Naruto said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just focus on healing him now. He should wake back up soon. He will probably be very confused and forlorn. You need to comfort him. Like I said, you'll be his father from now on."

Just as the Kyuubi finished the kit's eyes opened. Instead of their old color of brown the kit's eyes now shone cerulean, like Naruto's own. The kit looked back towards the corpse of his mother. "Why won't mommy wake up?" The kit whimpered out.

Naruto felt tears coming into his eyes and he pulled back his hood so the kit could see his face. "I'm sorry. She won't be waking up."

The kit let out another small whimper. Naruto picked up the small kitsune and hugged him to his chest. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you.

Naruto got up and carried the sobbing kit back towards the tree.

_Back at the tree…_

Hinata woke up and looked around. She noticed that Naruto was gone. She leapt to her feet and ran to the exit of the hollow. "No, he couldn't have run away, could he?" She whispered as she stepped out into the rain.

She was about to activate her doujutsu to search for him when she saw him land a few feet away with something cradled in his arms.

"Naruto!" Hinata cried happily. She then noticed exactly what he was holding, and that he had his hood down.

"Why are you holding that kitsune kit?" Hinata asked.

Naruto walked foreword and stepped into the tree well motioning for Hinata to follow him. She did and settled in next to him as he held the whimpering kit to his chest.

Without waiting for a question Naruto whispered sadly, "I found him a ways away. He and his mother were torn apart by something. He has no family now. I healed him and brought him back here"

Hinata looked at the kit an almost broke down crying. Then something happened that no one expected.

"I'm so scared." The kit whimpered into Naruto's cloak.

Hinata's eyes grew wide "Did he just talk?" Hinata asked.

Naruto's eyes grew wide. Almost immediately he was on Kyuubi faster then fangirls on a shirtless, soaking wet, immobilized Itachi.

"Does this mean that she…?" Naruto growled mentally at the Kyuubi.

The Kyuubi shrunk back to the far corners of his cage. "No, I don't think so." Kyuubi stuttered out in a Hinata like fashion.

"Well then how do you explain her understanding him." Naruto roared mentally.

"Maybe contact with our chakra gave her the ability. Please, I don't know. I can't turn people into demons without intending to." Kyuubi stuttered, so scared he was of Naruto's wrath.

Naruto calmed down a little. Kyuubi mentally berated himself for being scared of Naruto, but then he remembered how Naruto could change his prisoner. He didn't want to have to go through the academy locker room again.

Hinata's words brought Naruto back to the real world. "Naruto, did that kit just talk?"

Naruto looked at her and responded sheepishly, "No, he isn't. He's making normal kitsune sounds. I think because of me healing you you've gained the ability to talk to foxes."

Hinata was about to reply when the kit whimpered again. "I want my mommy."

Hinata did start to cry. She stifled her sobs so she didn't wake the others.

The kit continued to cry, and Naruto and Hinata cried with him. Hinata took the kit from Naruto and rocked him as one would do to an infant. "Don't worry, no one can hurt you now."

The kit looked at Hinata with his cerulean eyes, eyes that melted Hinata's heart. "Will you be my mommy?"

Hinata gave back the answer that came to her from her heart. "Yes, yes I will."

Naruto looked at Hinata, and down at the kit. "I'll be there to. You need a father."

Fresh tears flowed and the three huddled together. The kit slowly stopped crying. He peeped out. "Thank you. You make me feel so…" The kit paused.

"What?" Hinata whispered back.

"Safe."

With that the kit fell asleep in Hinata's arms.

Hinata looked at Naruto. "Does he have a name?" She asked.

"No." Naruto responded. "But I was thinking Naruto Jr."

Hinata looked at the kit. "I like Kogane." She whispered.

"Kogane it is." Naruto said, not having the heart to say otherwise.

The two fell asleep with the new addition to the group. Naruto did not raise his hood.

Kyuubi watched everything from Naruto's perspective and smiled. Naruto was coming along nicely.

_Seventy miles away, cave…_

"At last… you and I can be alone." Itachi whispered.

The stick of pockey did not answer back.

Itachi was about to eat the treat when Kisame entered the cave.

"Itachi, what are you doing?" Kisame asked.

Itachi quickly stuffed the pockey into his sleeve. He turned to Kisame, Sharingan blazing. "Kisame, what have I told you about interrupting me during my alone time?" Itachi said in the evil version of his monotone.

Kisame didn't answer as he turned tail and left the cave.

Itachi took the pockey out again and began to lift it to his mouth when he felt a disturbance… in the pockey.

Itachi's eyes grew wide. "I sense a disturbance…" His eyes unconsciously drifted towards the direction of a certain kitsune kit.

"There is a storm coming." Itachi muttered as he started to chew on his pockey.

* * *

_Ryoku: (Holding back tears.) That was touching._

_Me: Yeah, I know. It was hard to write because I'm not good at mushy stuff._

_RTW Naruto: You still did a great job. _

_Me: Thankyou_

_Jackie: I heard someone was using my powers._

_(Everyone turns around.)_

_Me: Oh god. Your here to?_

_Jackie: Yes_

_RTW Kyuubi: Who's this guy? _

_Me: The host of the Darkness_

_Jackie: That's write. I'm here to make sure you don't screw anything up._

_Me: This could be bad._


	5. Friends and Invisible Stick Monsters

Man I haven't updated this in a while. I'm sorry for the wait and the length of the chapter. I'm throwing this out to placate you rabid fans. Enjoy.

* * *

Anko made her way through a town in the Land of Stone. Seeing a bar she slowly walked inside. She was on a mission from the Hokage on a mission to the Land of Stone to find out Iwagakure's troop status. Word was that the Tsuchikage was planning an assault on Konoha. Bars happened to be one of the better places to find out info. Upon entering she noticed several bar flies nursing saucers of Sake. One man in the corner however was drinking tea from a tin cup. His position gave him a view of the entire bar. _Is he a ninja, he's certainly acting like one?_ Anko thought. He wore no headband, just a pair of wielding goggles, on his head.

Anko settled onto a bar stool and turned to one of the men sitting there. She then turned on the charm and settled about information gathering. After a few rounds of Sake her target was talking nicely. She then noticed another one of the patrons leave the bar. _Time to go._ Anko thought and got up to leave. Too late though. An extremely buffed up Iwa-nin entered the bar and headed towards Anko. He was followed by two other equally buff nins.

"Asking questions baby?" The first said lecherously.

"Maybe, maybe not." Anko replied coyly.

"I'll go with maybe." he replied as he reached for Anko. He grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!" Anko growled as she wrenched her arm back.

The man, undaunted, reached for Anko again. Anko reached for a hidden kunai when the man in the corner appeared by her side. "I don't think she likes being touched." He stated. "I'd go. While you'd still can."

The Iwa-nin turned to the man and asked, "Is there a name for this private little world of yours. What happens when we just don't… run away? You'll kill us, with a soup cup?"

"Tea actually." The man stated, indicating the cup in his hand.

"What was that?" The Iwa-nin asked.

The man finished off the tea in his cup and said, "I'll kill you with my teacup." He then placed the cup a table.

The Iwa-nin turned to his compatriots. The one on the left said, "You know how it goes, he never got to the town."

The first Iwa-nin drew a kunai and lunged at the man. The man simply took the cup and smashed it onto a ceramic ashtray and then embedded the now sharpened object in the Iwa-nin's chest.

The man then fell to the floor, dead. His two allies moved into ready positions and got ready for a fight. The man simply reached down and picked up a small locking pin from the floor and placed it on the table on the spot where the teacup had just occupied. The Iwa-nins then bolted.

Anko reached down and wrenched the teacup from the dead nins chest. "Death by teacup, why didn't I think of that?"

The man turned and began to walk away. "I didn't come here to play who's the better killer."

Anko was hanging off his shoulder a second later, a kunai at his back. "Well Mr. I didn't either but I won't hesitate to show you how much of a killer I can be."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Left of the spine, forth lumbar down…"

Anko then felt a prick at her side and looked down to see a knife pointing at her kidney. "Well you are good." Anko teased as she moved her kunai away from the man's back. "Name's Anko, you got one Mr. tall, dark and laden with sharp objects."

At that moment about twenty Iwa-nins poured into the bar. Anko tossed down a smoke bomb and grabbed her new "friend" and pulled him through the smoke and out a window. To her surprise he didn't fight her and instead urged her on with a small push. The two fled into the night.

_Tree stump in the forest, the next morning…_

Sasuke woke up with something furry brushing his face. He turned over and tried to go back to sleep. The furry feeling came back and he swatted at it trying to make it go away. He received a bite on the hand.

Naruto woke up to a loud stream of explicatives from Sasuke as he flung around Kogane, who had bitten him on the hand and was not letting go.

_Well shit. _Naruto thought as he flopped his hood back up and went to remove the struggling kitsune kit from Sasuke's hand.

_Five minutes of intense fighting and cursing later…_

Kogane hid behind Hinata who had woken up when the brawl had brushed past her. Sasuke was being held in a full Nelson by Naruto, all the while shouting oaths to destroy the little fox.

Yamato, Kiba and Akamaru had also all woken up. Lee, however, slept with the same conviction he did when he trained. At this point it would take one of Deidara's clay bombs to wake him up.

"I am going to rip off its f#$ little limbs and feed them to my f#$ snakes!!!" Sasuke yelled as he struggled.

Kiba scratched his head and yawned. Yamato slapped his forehead and wondered what he did to deserve this. Hinata was trying to comfort Kogane who was almost dead from fear. "I was hungry." He muttered over and over. Lee just snored.

_Across Fire Country…_

"It's gaining on us Itachi!!!" Kisame yelled as he and his partner dashed through the bushes.

Itachi muttered under his breath as he ran, "Let's go into the cave for tonight Itachi. There couldn't possibly be anything in there Itachi. Nobody listens to Itachi." The two kept running as the massive monkey bear thing that Kisame had woken up when he had inadvertently sat on it tore through the bushes. The thing had been chasing them for hours and was showing no signs of giving up.

Kisame suddenly tripped, "Damn you Invisible Stick Monster!!!" Kisame yelled as he fell down. Itachi reached down and snagged his partner and kept on running, dragging the shark man behind him.

The Onbuu, for of course that is what the creature was, took several swipes at Itachi who dodged them easily. Itachi then made a one handed ram seal and he and Kisame disappeared into a cloud of ravens, leaving nothing but a stick of pocky. The Onbuu stopped abruptly and looked around. Noticing the pocky it reached down and picked up the stick of pocky. It was about to eat it when a lone raven snatched it out of its hand.

_The Border of the Land of Stone…_

Anko tree hopped while her new "friend" dashed through the trees. While the man wasn't utilizing tree hopping he was still running at a breakneck pace. He had been going on at top speed for about twenty miles and wasn't showing any signs of stopping or even slowing down.

"Hey, you have a name?" She called down to him.

"Does it really matter that much?" The man asked back, "I mean, with all those pissed off ninja chasing us?"

Anko shrugged and kept moving. "Well you were the one who insisted on running."

"I know my limitations. You should know yours." He answered back. "Look, we are nearly there." The man said as he pointed towards the thick canopy of the Land of Fires great forests.

"You think that the border will stop them, these are Iwa-nin, they have been nursing a grudge since the last war and I don't think it is the best idea to let them run free inside are boarders." Anko replied.

The man started laughing and said, "What makes you think I have the intention of letting any of them live. I just wanted to be in a place a little more suited to my talents." Anko noticed that as it was still early in the morning the forest was still dark. The man suddenly veered off the path he was taking and jumped behind a stump. Anko followed him and hunkered down next to him.

"Why are you helping me anyway?" Anko asked him.

"Simple, Iwa hates me, Iwa hates you, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend." He responded. "Look, here they come."

Anko smiled suddenly, "You remember that game you mentioned last night?"

"Who's the better killer?" He responded.

"Do you wanna play?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with feral bloodlust.

"Why not?" The man responded as he prepared to ambush the ninja.

_With Itachi and Kisame…_

_"_That was a good save Itachi," Kisame complemented as he spat out a pinfeather, "Were did you learn that."

"Uchiha standard issue fangirl escape technique. Taught to all male members twelve and above" Itachi responded. _Poor Sasuke, he never learned it, oh well, he probably learned to cope._

Itachi leaned against a tree. "Kisame, you mentioned something earlier, what was it?"

"You mean the Invisible Stick Monster." Kisame answered.

"Yes, what exactly is a 'Invisible Stick Monster'?" Itachi asked.

"Well you see and Invisible Stick Monster is a creature that spends much of its time on the ground in places that predators chase their prey. They trip the prey and the feed off the scraps that the predator leaves behind. They also have a tendency to prevent tripped prey from getting back up by holding on to it." Kisame said. "They cannot be seen as they are invisible."

"Then how do you know they exist?" Itachi asked.

"How the hell else do you explain all those people tripping over nothing in those crappy horror movies that Hidan makes us watch back at the base." Kisame responded.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

Meanwhile a Invisible Stick Monster turned to another and said, "He's on to us, we must run."

_With Anko…_

Anko crept through the shadows away from the two corpses she had just created. Her accomplice had dispatched eight of their pursuers by hanging upside down above them and dropping down, severing all of their jugulars with a precise spin.

_Man we could use a guy like this, he doesn't know how to use chakra but he is decimating these ninja._ She shivered at the thought. _What could he do if he had ninja training?_

She silently took down another Iwa-nin with a thrown kunai. _Oh I can't wait to get home._

And end. Fear the Invisible Stick Monster. My friend came up with the idea. You who have supposidly tripped over nothing now know the truth.

Review please?

* * *


End file.
